Every Saturday
by BonniePrincess
Summary: "He had once thought that staying out of the ocean would get easier as time passed...but, after nearly two years, the water still called to him as forcefully as it had before." Twenty years later, Ariel and Eric's son struggles to rule his kingdom.
1. Dock

**Saturday**

"_He had once thought that staying out of the ocean would get easier as time passed...but, after nearly two years, the water still called to him as forcefully as it had before."Twenty years later, Ariel and Eric's son struggles to rule his kingdom and resist the temptations of the sea. _

A few quick notes:

This generally follows the plot of all three movies- the only AU aspect is that the humans and merfolk did not interact. Members of Eric's court were never told where Ariel came from, and the humans do not know that merpeople exist.

Eric died about two years before this begins, and Melody and Ariel have now returned to the sea. Melody is about 34 and her younger brother, Adam, is now king at the age of 20.

If people like where this is going, I am happy to continue, let me know!

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The salty sea breeze brushed across his face as he sat waiting on the rickety dock. He closed his eyes, revelling in the scent as he allowed the wind to tousle his auburn hair.

He had once thought that staying out of the sea would get easier as more time passed- but, after nearly two years, the ocean still called to him as forcefully as before. He wanted nothing more than to immerse himself in it- to let the water consume him- let it take him away from his mundane world of work and responsibility.

It was childish, perhaps. Selfish even. But Adam found it impossible to suppress his desires.

Luckily, he was also as headstrong as his mother, and he refused to let himself be overcome by such urges. He didn't dare to touch the water and he drew his knees towards his chest, protecting himself from the temping depths below. The golden ring on his index finger suddenly felt like it weighed sixty pounds, but he did his best to ignore that as well. All it would take was one little twist...

But he wouldn't give in.

He couldn't.

Adam often wondered why he put himself through this. It had become a weekly routine now, and it never failed to fill him with mixed feelings.

Every Saturday, usually after the sun had set, he would sneak down to the dock and wait for his sister. Sometimes she came alone, sometimes she brought her husband and daughter. On occasion, their mother and grandfather would accompany her to the surface as well.

Those visits were always the hardest. Seeing them all there- together- reminded him of what he was missing.

They were literally a world apart, and he was the one who had been left behind.

But, he supposed, seeing them like this was better than not seeing them at all and, despite the pain it caused, the young king always looked forward to Saturdays.

A small splash caught Adam's attention and he quickly looked to his left. Seconds later, right on schedule, Melody's dark head emerged from the water. She quickly swam towards him, a wide smile on her face.

He tried to ignore the pang of jealousy that rushed through him as he caught a quick glimpse of her red tail. God, how he missed having that kind of freedom- nothing felt better than effortlessly gliding through the clear ocean, allowing the currents to sweep you away.

Adam had never understood why his mother had once been so eager to trade her tail for legs. At least she had come to her senses now. After their father had died, their mother had decided to return home- she had been yearning for it for years and, with Eric gone, remaining on land was simply too painful. She had offered to stay for the sake of her son, but Adam had assured her that he would be fine (it was a lie, but at least it was a well-intentioned one). She deserved to be happy. He just wished that he had that luxury too.

"Good to see you, Mel."Adam said, returning her smile. Despite it all, he was truly happy that she had come and there was no use wasting this precious time with dark thoughts.

"Good to see you too, little brother." She replied as she reached the dock and folded her arms across the rough wooden surface. "I hope you've been keeping well."

Adam shrugged. "Well enough," he began. "The Dutch ambassador finally left yesterday, which was a huge relief. I swear, if he had made any more ridiculous demands, I think I would have lost my patience. I mean really, who wakes up the cook and demands caviar at three in the morning?"

Melody chuckled and gave her brother a sympathetic smile. "I suppose putting up with ridiculous guests comes with the job, huh? Remember that time that the Czar and his family came...Dad nearly kicked them out after they pulled that tapestry off of the wall and used it as a blanket." She grinned at the memory. "At least mom was there to calm him down before he caused an international incident."

The young man gave a quiet laugh. "Yeah, I'd never seen dad turn red like that before." He paused for a moment before continuing, this time with a hint of sadness in his voice. "How is mom holding up?"

"Okay." Mel replied, glancing down at the dark water. "I mean, it's pretty clear that she's still in mourning, but grandfather has given her royal duties to keep her busy, and she spends a lot of time with me, Thomas and Grace."

Adam nodded, relieved to hear that his mother was keeping busy. She had become a shadow of her former self after losing Eric and, although they were in mourning as well, both children had been concerned by their mother's state. Ariel had seemed...hollow...and Adam and Melody had done all that they could to keep her from slipping away. Losing a father was one thing, but losing a soul mate was quite another. Theirs had been a forbidden love that would last through the ages and, now that he was gone, nothing would ever be the same again. The siblings had worried that she would simply give up, and neither could stand the thought of losing her too.

In the end, Grace had been a godsend. Melody's daughter had arrived four months after Eric's untimely death and the sight of her grandchild had brought Ariel back from the brink. When she was with Grace, she was almost herself again- and Adam and Melody had realized that their mother would fare much better under the ocean with Melody and her family to keep her occupied. As much as he wanted her to stay, Adam knew he had to let her go. So, two years ago, she had returned to her true form, and gone back to Atlantica.

But, unlike his mother and sister, Adam had been unable to escape into the world below.

He had inherited the throne now, and promised his father that he would rule Denmark with a fair hand. As the male heir, he had had little choice, and he knew that he could never go against his father's dying wish.

That didn't make it any easier, though.

As a child and teenager, he had loved the ocean as much- if not more than- his sister. He was born a year after the wall had come down and, at the tender age of four, his grandfather had given he and Melody the ultimate gift- enchanted rings that allowed them to change between their human and mer forms as they wished. With the simple twist of the trident embossed ring, his tail (blue, like his grandfather's) would replace his legs, and he would be as free as a fish in the Atlantic.

They had spent so much time in Atlantica in those years and Adam could honestly say that it had been the happiest time of his life. It had always been a bit of a novelty to Melody (who didn't know about their mother's past until she was twelve and was already sixteen when they began their frequent trips)- but for Adam, it was almost normal. He had taken the ability to shift between human and merman for granted, and he had never thought that his freedom would one day come to an end.

But, at the age of eighteen, everything came crashing down.

Melody was already married by then- to a merman, no less- and had made a permanent home under the sea. Adam had secretly thought that he would one day do the same but, when his father had become ill, the full burden of his future responsibilities had sunk in.

The country needed a king.

The country needed _him_.

And that meant that he had to give up the thing he had loved the most.

As king, he couldn't disappear under the ocean for days on end. People would notice, and people would start to suspect that something was amiss. The court was already full of gossip in the wake of Princess Melody's "disappearance" and Queen Ariel's "departure"- Adam knew he couldn't afford to fuel more rumours. He hated to think what would happen if his courtiers found out that he wasn't exactly...human. The members of his council who disagreed with his kingship would probably try to have him overthrown, for a start...he knew that his cousin Peter would certainly be glad to see that happen.

"Adam, wake up."

His sister's voice snapped him back to reality, and the young man looked down to see her shaking her head as she bobbed peacefully in the water. "Are you even listening to me, kelp brain?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm listening." He replied with a smirk, secretly happy that he and his sister could still engage in some old fashioned sibling banter. As a child, he had hated it when she called him kelp brain- now, it simply made him nostalgic.

Melody chuckled. "Right, well, I was saying that next Saturday, we should meet a bit earlier. Grace is dying to come back up to the surface again, and I think mom wants to come along as well." She paused. "I was thinking that maybe we could make a day of it. We'd meet you here at about noon, and then we could all swim over to the Northern Isle- maybe have a picnic in the cove?"

Adam's smile quickly faded.

The Northern Isle was a long distance from the shore, and it would be nearly impossible to swim there without passing out from fatigue. Nearly impossible for a human, at least...

"Mel, you know I can't..."

He began to protest, but his sister cut him off in midsentence. She was just as stubborn as he was, and he could tell that she wasn't going to let the issue go without a fight.

"Of course you can." She said, her green eyes flickering towards the ring he still wore on his finger.

He knew it was silly to keep it on- and if he was smart, he would have thrown it into the ocean ages ago. But it was still too hard to let go, even though he knew he could never go back to his old way of life.

"Mel, please don't. I don't want to talk about it. You know why I can't."

His sister scowled and gave him a dramatic eye roll.

She didn't understand, and he knew that she never would. That was why they had had this argument a million times in the past two years.

"No, I know why you _think_ you can't." The young woman shot back. "But you're being ridiculous, Adam. I know you have responsibilities now, and I know you made a promise to dad. But you can't keep depriving yourself like this. He wouldn't want that- and we hate seeing you like this."

Adam looked away, trying to ignore the stinging feeling in his eyes.

"You may be king, but don't have to be the family martyr as well." Melody continued, reaching out to place her wet hand on his dry one.

He quickly pulled it away.

"You don't belong on land- not completely. You're just as much a merman as you are human. You need to return to the ocean sometimes. Even just for a little while."

"Enough!" His voice came out more forcefully then he had intended and he could tell from his sister's wide eyes that he had shocked her into silence. She looked almost...hurt, and he almost regretted his harsh tone.

Unfortunately, she had hit a raw nerve and, as the blood began to pound in his ears, he could not quell the tide that followed.

"Do you think I don't know those things, Mel?" He snapped before abruptly hoisting himself to his feet. "I think about the ocean every minute of every day, and I hate that I can't be with everyone else. I _hate_ being stuck here. But, unlike the rest of you, I don't have much of a choice."

"Well, instead of feeling sorry for yourself, why don't you modify some of the stupid rules you've made and come home every one and a while? You're the only one standing in your way!" Her voice was louder than before, and Adam knew that his tirade had irked her. "What the hell are you so afraid of, Adam?"

"I'm afraid that I'll never want to come back!"

His words rang out across the tranquil water and for a long moment, the siblings glared at each other in silence.

What he had said was true- that was his greatest fear, and the reason that he had stayed in human form for two long years. He knew that he loved life under the water, and he worried that if he gave into temptation- even for a little bit- he would not have the strength to go back.

He too was weak.

"Fine then. I don't know what to say anymore." His sister muttered, finally breaking the tense silence. "I can't stand seeing you like this, and I think you're being absurd. Thomas, and mom and Grace and I will be here next week at noon. I hope you'll decide to join us."

Adam said nothing and, after another pause, Melody turned and dove back underneath the water- splashing an unusual amount of water in her brother's direction as she went.

Now dripping, and feeling worse than he had before, the young king stormed back toward the lonely castle, trying to ignore his rapidly beating heart and the blissful feeling of salt water on his skin.

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Not too far away, a lone figure crouched silently behind a large rock, a grin plastered across his pale face.

He had always been good at watching. And waiting.

Now, it seemed like his efforts were finally going to pay off.

Yes- as he suspected, something fishy was definitely going on- and he was more determined than ever to find out what it was.

He wished that he had been able to see and hear more of what had gone on. But he was almost certain that the king was up to something.

He would return next week, he decided.

He would get closer next time and maybe, just maybe, he would finally find the key to the king's undoing...


	2. Council

"I see no reason why we should wait any longer. If the Dutch ambassador is certain that the English are planning an attack on our shores then it is time to ready our ships."

"Perhaps," another member of the council began, "but we must remember that the Dutch are already fighting with the English in the colonies. It is possible that they only want us to think that we will soon be under siege so that we can provide a distraction in Europe. We should not act until we are sure that we were not simply a tool for Dutch ambitions."

Several councillors murmured in agreement while others shook their heads defiantly. Clearly, the members of the council were not in agreement on this issue and Adam knew that, no matter what he decided, some would leave the discussion unsatisfied.

Drawing a deep breath, Adam leaned back in his chair and allowed his eyes to drift towards the ceiling of the castle's meeting room for a brief moment. This was, perhaps, his least favourite part of his job. He and his twelve advisors had been in the dark chamber for nearly four hours now and it felt as if absolutely nothing had been achieved. Most of the men present were at least twice his age, and it was clear that the majority of them were only there because they enjoyed the sound of their own voices.

Adam had never had much patience for flowery rhetoric or day-long debates but, as King, it was his duty to preside over these meetings and listen to each of his advisor's opinions for as long as they deemed fit.

The main topic of discussion on that breezy spring day was the Dutch ambassador's visit, and the worrying warnings he had given about English ambitions. In Adam's opinion, it would be foolish to take action against their English allies on the word of one man (who, frankly, seemed to lack both tact and integrity)- but some of the councillors disagreed.

As usual, his cousin Peter had taken lead of the war-mongering opposition

"The English navy is large." Peter cut in, his pale blue eyes narrowing. "If we do not take this opportunity to lead an offensive attack against them, then we are certain to fail."

One of the oldest councillors scoffed. "We are certain to fail if we attack one of our allies without just cause." The man insisted, steadily meeting Peter's hawkish gaze.

Knowing that his cousin was about to protest, Adam pointedly cleared his throat and placed a firm hand on the long wooden table. Most days, he still felt as if he was a boy masquerading as a ruler, but he knew that he had to do his best and play the part of a self-assured and confidant king. He had to make his father proud. He had had quite enough and he knew that another few hours of this would do them no good.

Thankfully, all eyes turned towards him.

"I thank you, gentlemen, for this valuable discussion." He began, hoping that his words sounded convincing. "With all due respect to the Duke," he continued, nodding towards his cousin, "I think that we would be wise to wait a bit longer before deciding what course to take. The Dutch ambassador's warning should be taken seriously but, before we plan an attack on England, we must have more information. King James is sending a group of English delegates next week- we will not ready our ships until we have a chance to discuss these allegations with them."

Unsurprisingly, Peter gave a loud huff of distain- but Adam did his best to ignore it. His cousin was never pleased with his decisions and it seemed that today would be no different.

"The council is dismissed."

A low murmur filled the room once more as the men collected their papers and made their way towards the door. Most wished the king a pleasant evening before departing but some, including Peter, left in angry silence.

In less than two minutes, the large stone room was empty, and Adam gave a loud sigh of relief as he slumped back into his chair. He was happy to be alone, and he revelled in the seclusion of the now-silent room.

It was days like this that made him wonder why he was so determined to resist the call of the sea. Although he knew that his calm demeanour made him a good mediator, he was equally certain that he was not a natural ruler. Even though a part of him had always known that he would one day be king, he had never really prepared himself for it. It had seemed so distant, almost unreal...and even two years after his father's unexpected death, he still felt unprepared.

Council meetings, state dinners, balls, court politics, diplomatic missions...none of these things appealed to him and he often felt as if he was simply going through the motions. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew that his heart simply wasn't in it.

Luckily, most members of the court- including most of the councillors- had not yet questioned his kingship. They seemed to think that he was just as well-suited to this role as his father and rumour had it that the people saw his rule as a triumphant continuation of Denmark's "golden age." Adam, however, could only wonder how long such feelings would last. Sure, nothing catastrophic had happened during his two years on the throne. Denmark was prospering, grain prices were low, and international trade was flourishing- but the young King did not believe that these things had anything to do with his own initiatives. He had simply carried on his father's policies and had not had to deal with anything new or uncertain.

Until now, at least.

The tension building between Holland and England was very troubling, and Adam had no idea what he would do if Europe really did fall into war. His instincts told him to avoid military action, but he knew that that might not always be an option. If England did attack, and catch them off guard, any losses would be on his shoulders.

He knew he could not afford to make the wrong choice. He could almost picture Peter's satisfied grin, and he knew that his cousin would be calling for his abdication if things went horribly wrong.

Peter had been a thorn in his side for years now and it was not secret that the other young man- who, at twenty five, was only slightly older than himself- thought that he would be a much more competent ruler. The rivalry between them was long and bitter and, most days, Adam found it hard to believe that they were actually related.

The two were opposites in nearly every way. While Adam was tall and broad (a spitting image of his father, most said- aside from his mother's deep red hair), Peter was small and frail. When Adam was soft-spoken and cautious, Peter was forceful and impatient. They were like oil and water, and Adam knew that his cousin was all too eager to take the throne for himself.

In Adam's opinion, that would lead Denmark to certain ruin and, he supposed, this was one of the main reasons he forced himself to stay on land. Despite it all, he loved his country and knew that he had to fulfil his duty to his father. If he left, Peter would take over...and he did not want to consider what would happen then.

A soft knock at the door snapped Adam away from his thoughts, and he quickly looked towards the front of the room. Moments later, the door squeaked open and an elderly woman with a kind face popped her head around the corner.

"Oh, your Majesty. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just thought I should see if the chamber needed any tidying. I can come back later."

Although Adam had been enjoying his time alone, the voice belonged to one of the few people he was always happy to see.

He smiled.

"Don't be ridiculous, Carlotta." The young king began, gesturing for the maid to come inside. She had served his family for years and, although she was now retired, it seemed that she was unable to simply relax and enjoy her days. Carlotta always wanted to help and, during the past few years, Adam had been grateful for her presence. She was like a grandmother to him, and was the only living person who knew the truth about his mother's origins.

He wasn't sure what he would do without her.

Returning his smile, the maid entered and made her way towards the table. "It does look terribly dusty in here, perhaps I should..."

"The only thing you should do is sit down." Adam cut her off as he jumped up from his spot and pulled out a chair for her. "You know you don't have to tidy anything anymore. You are practically family, and I want you to relax."

She gave him a bemused nod, and there was no masking the affection in her eyes as she took a seat.

For a moment, she said nothing, and Adam could tell that (as always) she was trying to gauge his mood. She had always had the amazing ability to see right through him and as he watched a concerned frown cross her face, he knew that she had figured him out.

"You are troubled, your majesty." Carlotta stated, placing a gentle hand on top of his. "What is the matter?"

"Call me Adam."

"If you insist- but only if you tell me what is wrong."

The king hesitated, wondering if he should tell her everything that had been weighing heavily on his mind. He knew she would listen patiently and he knew it would feel good to talk to the only person who knew his secrets...but he hated to ruin her afternoon with his childish concerns and insecurities.

"Please, Adam," she said softly "You don't have to keep your guard up around me."

He could no longer resist. "It is a combination of things, I suppose." He began with a long sigh. "I have no idea what to do about the Dutch Ambassador's warning and, as usual, Peter and his followers think I am an incompetent fool for delaying a decision."

Carlotta gave him a sympathetic nod. Her dislike of Peter was almost as strong as his and she understood how frustrating the young Duke could be.

"So, as usual, I feel clueless, and like I should not be masquerading as a king...because a king _should_ know what to do, right? My father always did...he should be the one doing this, not me."

To his surprise, Carlotta gave a quiet chuckle. "Perhaps as a child, it seemed as if your father had always been the strong confidant man he was- but I can recall having almost the exact same conversation with him when he was around your age. His father died young too, you know. And he used to sit in this very room, nearly shaking with fear, as he tried to come to terms with the responsibilities he now held. It will get better, my boy- you must trust me on that."

Adam tried to smile but, despite her reassurances, he found it hard to calm his fears. It was nearly impossible to picture his father as an uncertain young man. He had been a great king- magnificent even- and Adam had trouble seeing him in any other light. He still felt as if he would never be able to compare. And besides, his father _had _belonged in this world...his father had been _human_. Adam knew things would never quite be the same for him.

"There is more to it than that, isn't there?"

Carlotta's voice snapped him away from his thoughts. Once again, she was right and Adam sheepishly averted his gaze down towards the wooden table.

"Yes." He answered softly.

The young man drew a deep breath before continuing. "I know I am being selfish, and I should just move on and accept my fate...but it is impossible to ignore." He brushed his hand through his deep red hair and finally looked up to meet her blue eyes with his. "I think about the sea every second of every day. I miss it so much...I miss being _me _so much. I feel like I don't belong here, and I worry that I'll never be able to rule this realm properly because I don't even belong here. When I think about the word home, I instantly picture Atlantica, and mom and Melody. I want to be there, with them...but instead, I'm here." He paused again. "I hate to sound ungrateful, because I know I have led a privileged life, and many dream of having what I have here. But I can't change how I feel."

Silence fell over the room, and Adam could tell that the old woman was carefully considering her response. He had told her about some of his feelings before, and she knew that he was happiest in the ocean- but this was the first time he had shared some of his deepest fears. He hoped that she wouldn't consider him foolish- after all, he was a king complaining to a former maid about how unhappy he was with his life of luxury.

Thankfully, she understood that there was more to it than that.

"I don't think you will ever find an easy answer, Adam." Carlotta began. "You are unique- a child of two worlds- and there is no one who can tell you what is best. I cannot pretend to understand what you are going through, but I do think that you will have to come up something that will give you peace and satisfaction. I have watched you during the past two years and, though I admire your discipline, I think you have denied yourself too much. You cannot stay out of the water forever- it is part of who you are."

His eyes widened as she spoke. Apparently, he was even more transparent than he thought and even though he had never told her that he had not touched the water for two long years she had, apparently, figured things out on her own.

"I want to go back- at least to visit. Of course I do. But I'm scared." He admitted, his voice softer than before. "I'm scared that I won't have the strength to come back to land...I'm scared that someone will discover my secret. I'm rarely alone anymore, and I am supposed to have guards near me at all times. People will notice if I disappear for a day or two, and if they find out what I am..."

"Your fears are understandable- but I also fear what will become of you if you stay away" Carlotta began. "I've been worried about you, Adam. You're working yourself too hard and, although you try to hide it, it is clear to me that you are no longer the happy young man that you once were. You may think that you are depriving yourself for the sake of your kingdom- but I wonder how much longer you can go on like this. If you are unhappy, you cannot be the great ruler you were meant to be."

He looked back down at the marble floor, his mind still swirling with a hundred uncertainties.

"Maybe."

"I know that you're the king now," the woman continued with a wry smile, "but I promised your mother that I would look out for you. If you don't figure something out for yourself then, so help me, I will throw you into the ocean myself."

Despite himself, Adam laughed. He highly doubted that the short, plump old woman could throw his six-foot-four frame anywhere, but the thought of such a scenario was amusing.

"I'll try not to let it come to that." He said, looking up at her with a grin.

After taking a quick glance out of the window, Adam rose from his chair. The sun was still out and the day looked warm- what he wanted right now was a nice long walk. He needed to clear his head and, even from here, he could hear the alluring sound of the ocean.

"I think I'll go get a bit of fresh air before sunset." He stated, offering Carlotta his hand as she began to rise from her chair as well. "Would you like to join me?"

She shook her head. "No no, I think I'll stay inside today. I'm not sure if my joints could handle a walk."

"Okay, very well." He began as the two walked towards the chamber door. Before they reached it, the young king paused and turned to face his companion. "Thanks, Carlotta. For everything."

"Anytime, my dear. Now go- the sea looks calm today. Perhaps it is a good time for a swim..."

Adam smiled.

"Not today." He replied. "But maybe soon."

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A/N Thanks for the reviews. Hope this chapter was okay- not very eventful, but I felt like I needed to give a bit more context/background. Next chapter- some familiar faces return!


	3. Shore

His grandfather must have been in a good mood.

The sea was even more tranquil than it had been on Saturday and a gentle wind blew the fresh sea air towards him as he walked along the sandy beach. For a moment, Adam allowed his worries to slip away. Even after all of this time, the sound of the waves still soothed him and filled him with an unparalleled sort of contentment.

There really was nothing more beautiful than the ocean.

Filling his lungs with the sweet sea air, the young king continued his walk- his talk with Carlotta made him feel better than he had in weeks and, much to his surprise, he was even beginning to consider going along with his sister's plan next Saturday. Maybe it would be nice to join his family for a day. He could stretch his tail for a bit, enjoy an afternoon of freedom, and let all thoughts of Peter and the war slip from his mind.

Carlotta was right. If he didn't do something, he was going to break down. Simply finding the will to wake up was getting harder and harder every day...

But still, he was scared, and he knew that if he did return to the sea, even for a day, he was putting a lot of things at risk. This was not a decision to be taken lightly.

"Watch out!"

The king paused in mid step and looked frantically around to find the source of the frantic voice. A quick glance told him that there was no one else on the beach that afternoon...well, no one human, anyway.

"Oh my goodness! Your majesty! I didn't realize it was you! I apologise for getting in your way!"

The voice spoke again and this time Adam looked down to see a small sea turtle looking up at him with wide eyes.

He quickly took a step back before kneeling down to address the surprised creature.

"It is quite alright." He assured her with a warm smile. "I should be the one apologising- I nearly stepped on you." He paused. "Are you okay? You're rather far from the shore for a sea turtle."

The young turtle lowered her head. If turtles could blush, Adam was pretty sure that she would have.

"I was here with my brothers." She began slowly, "and they dared me to walk all the way over to that rock over there by the cliff. So I did...but when I turned around, they had dived back into the ocean. I suppose this is their idea of a joke, but mother is going to be furious."

Adam nodded sympathetically.

"I've been trying to walk back, but the tide keeps getting further and further away and I'm exhausted." She paused. "I'm only three months old, you know. And I'm much better at swimming than I am at walking."

"I know the feeling." Adam muttered with another nod. "Would it be helpful if I carried you back to the water?"

"I don't want to be any trouble, your majesty..."

"Nonsense." The king cut in. "It is no trouble at all- I would be happy to help."

And with that, he scooped up the tiny turtle and began to walk towards the water. What seemed far to her was only about fifteen metres to him, and he reached his destination in no time.

As he bent down to place her in the water, she gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, your majesty!"

He chuckled, amused by her youthful enthusiasm. "I don't mind at all, really."

As soon as she reached the water, the turtle gave a few kicks, and let out a gleeful giggle.

"My brothers will be so jealous!" she exclaimed, swimming around in an excited circle. "Mother and father are always talking about what a great man the land-king is- they think it is wonderful that a merman is in charge of the realm now. And now that you've saved my life...oh wow, I can't wait to tell everyone at school that you're as great and kind as everyone thinks!"

Adam's eyes widened in surprise- he had been unaware that he had such a reputation under the water and was shocked to hear that he was, apparently, widely admired. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

"Er...well, thanks." He stuttered, unsure of how to respond. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

The little turtle giggled once more before bowing her head in his direction. "It was a pleasure to meet you too, your majesty. Thank you! Thank you so much!"

And with that, she dived beneath the sparkling blue water and disappeared from sight, leaving the king shaking his head in bemusement. That had certainly been...unexpected. It had been a long time since he had conversed with a sea creature. Even when he was in human form, some of his mer abilities remained- including the ability to talk to animals from his grandfather's realm. As a child, he had had many aquatic friends...but since becoming king, he had all but cut himself off from that world. Humans couldn't talk to fish, and if anyone caught him, he had no idea how he would explain himself.

Thankfully, the beach was quiet today, and he was pretty sure that no one had heard him having a conversation with the tiny turtle.

A large wave splashed against his leg causing Adam to jump back in surprise. It had been a long time since he had stood this close to the shore and the turtle's predicament had momentarily made him forget his new proximity to the water.

With a sigh, he looked down at his soaking pants and shoes. He couldn't deny it; the water felt good- just as it had when Melody had splashed him on Saturday. A sudden sense of urgency washed over him and he impulsively decided to give in to his desires- at least a little.

Heart pounding, Adam sat down in the cool sand and quickly pulled off his boots. After flinging them aside, he rolled his pant legs up to his knees and reached his feet towards the lapping waves. Seconds later, another wave rushed towards him, and he tried not to flinch as the water washed over his legs once more.

The ocean was warm, and the water wrapped around him like a soft blanket on a winter's day.

It felt spectacular. Even better than he remembered.

The wave pulled back all too quickly, leaving his legs exposed once more. An empty feeling filled the pit of his stomach, and he found himself eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next surge.

Thankfully, it came quickly.

He stayed like that for a long time- allowing the water to sweep back and forth and revelling in its familiar comfort. It wasn't the same as immersing himself in it but, after years of depravation, even this partial contact felt amazingly good.

He could have stayed like that forever, and he was so distracted by the joy of it all that he didn't notice the arrival of a second person on the beach.

"Adam."

The soft voice caught him by surprise and he opened his eyes in alarm. For a moment, he half expected to see the little sea turtle again, but as his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized that it was one of the people he had been yearning for the most.

"Mom."

There was no masking the surprise in his voice as he abruptly stood up in the sand. His mother rarely came to the surface- and he certainly never came in broad daylight when she could be seen. The court had been told that Queen Ariel had gone to a sunnier climate, for her health, and the sight of her bobbing in the ocean would certainly take some explaining.

He was torn between running into her arms, and reprimanding her for being so brash.

As it was, he simply stood there in shock.

"What are you doing here?"

Ariel smiled, and Adam could not help but notice that she looked younger than she had when she left. Perhaps the sea had rejuvenated her- mermaids, after all, were supposed to have much longer life spans than humans. Although she had aged at a normal rate on shore, it seemed as if her time in the ocean was restoring her to her natural state.

"I was worried about you, Adam." She replied tenderly. Ariel was as close to the shore as she could come without exposing her tail and Adam could tell that she was longing to wrap him in a warm embrace. A part of him craved the same thing...but he wasn't ready to walk into the water.

He couldn't.

"When Melody came home on Saturday she was very concerned. She wouldn't tell me what you talked about, but I knew that I needed to see you." The mermaid paused as she gazed at her son. "You look tired, Adam. And worried."

He sighed. She knew him too well, and there was no use hiding anything from her. "We can't talk here." He said softly, taking a tentative step towards the water. "If someone sees you..."

She nodded, understanding his concern. "We can talk below the surface, if you'd like." She suggested.

For a moment, Adam's heart leapt into his throat. No...no. As much as he wanted to, he knew that he couldn't.

He had to be strong.

"Swim over to that rock." He replied, trying not to let her see how anxious he was. "No one will be able to see us back there."

She looked concerned but wordlessly obliged. For a moment, she went out of his sight, and Adam waited for the tide to draw back before making a quick dash towards the large rock. He jumped onto the hard surface as quick as he could, thankful that he was not any wetter than before.

His mother had already pulled herself onto the lower edge of the rock- only the bottom half of her tail remained in the water now and Adam was able to sit beside her without getting in the water himself.

Now that they were safe, he allowed himself to smile. Risky as it was, he was thankful that she had come.

He may have been king now, but sometimes, he still needed his mother.

Unable to wait any longer, Ariel threw her arms around her son and drew him into a tight embrace. He felt like a child again and he knew that his mother's comforting arms were exactly what he needed. It had been far too long since they had done this.

"I've missed you, darling." Ariel said softly as she drew back and brushed a dark red lock of hair out of his eyes. "So much."

"I've missed you too, mom." He replied with a sad smile. It was wonderful to see her, but he knew that their time together would be all too short. The sight of her green tail shimmering in the sunlight was a painful reminder of that.

For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence- simply content to be together. Adam loved how familiar it felt, and how much being there reminded him of his childhood. They had done this often back then. On warm summer nights, Ariel would take her young son down to the beach, and they would watch the ocean from their favourite rock by the shore.

It had been a happy time, and he missed how simple his life at been at that age.

He knew there was no turning back now.

"You're not yourself, Adam." Ariel observed, her eyes locked on his. "Please, talk to me."

The young man looked away. Part of him wanted to tell her, but the responsible half of his brain advised against it. She had been so fragile in the years after his father's death and, although they had always been close, Adam had found himself unable to burden her with his problems. He didn't want her to worry about him, and he would never be able to forgive himself if he brought more sadness into her life.

He did his best to smile.

"I'm fine. It has just been a long day- that's all." It was a half-truth, but he hoped she would be satisfied.

Ariel looked sceptical. "What did you and Melody discuss on Saturday?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing much. Just regular stuff."

The queen raised a red brow, and Adam squirmed under her gaze.

Maybe a bit more information wouldn't hurt.

"She suggested that we all spend the day together next Saturday. She wants to have a picnic near the Northern Isle."

His mother nodded. "Yes, she did mention that. I hope that you will join us."

It was getting hard to ignore the knot in the pit of his stomach, but Adam tried to keep himself steady.

"I don't know yet." He replied slowly, glancing down at the grey rock. He could not stand to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Oh."

Adam winced. "It's not that I don't want to spend the day with you." He quickly amended. "I do. Of course I do. It's just that the Northern Isle is rather far- maybe if we stayed closer to the castle..."

"Far?" She questioned, a note of confusion in her voice. "It is only about a fifteen minute swim. You know that- you and Melody used to swim there all the time when you were a child."

He felt his heart rate quicken. He was going to have to tell her the truth...the look that she was currently giving him made it clear that she knew that something was up.

"Yeah, but I can't really...swim anymore. Not like that."

After a pause, she nodded- a lock of realization on her face. Much to his relief, she did not look angry, but there was no masking her concern.

Ariel brought a gentle hand up to her son's cheek and turned his head towards hers.

"Oh Adam." She said, her eyes full of sadness. "My little merman."

"No. Not anymore."

It had been her childhood nickname for him- ever since they had discovered how much he cherished the sea. He had loved it then, and felt proud that he was clearly his mother's son. But hearing it now just filled him with a wave of regret and gloom.

He had chosen another life now. And in order to make his father proud and fulfil his duties, he had had to turn his back on his mother and her people. He hated that it had to be one or the other, but it was hard to picture it any other way.

Instead of questioning him further, Ariel glanced towards the shore. She knew him better than anyone, and those few words had been enough to tell her what she wanted to know.

He could tell that she understood now.

"This is the same rock I hid behind after I saved your father, you know." Her voice broke through the silence, and Adam turned towards his mother- surprised that she had chosen to discuss this now.

She rarely spoke about Eric anymore.

It was simply too painful.

"You never told me that." Adam replied cautiously.

"I know." She smiled sadly. "I still remember it so clearly. He was so much bigger than I was, and I'm still not sure how I managed to pull him all the way to shore. But somehow, I did." Ariel pointed towards a distant spot on the beach. "I put him there and when he started to wake up, I hid here to make sure he was going to be alright. I wanted to stay so badly- wanted to talk to him...but I figured I was being silly. A human and a mermaid- it was simply unheard of."

Adam nodded. He had heard the story before- he and Mel had always loved hearing about their parent's epic love when they were kids. Back then, it had seemed so perfect. Now, however, he could not help but wonder if it really was meant to be.

He was the result of a forbidden union, and it seemed as if he was doomed to be an outcast, no matter what sort of life he chose.

Maybe the land and sea were not meant to mix.

"I remember how I felt back then. It seemed so unfair that I was stuck with my tail when all I had ever wanted was to live on land. With him..." Ariel trailed off for a moment, and Adam could see the redness in her eyes as she remembered the man she would always love. "And when my father gave me legs, I was so sure that everything would be perfect from then on. And, I suppose, in a lot of ways I was right. Your father was everything I wanted, and you and your sister made me happier than I ever thought possible."

Adam smiled as she brought her hand up to his cheek once more.

"But, as happy as I was, there was always a part of me that yearned for the sea. No matter how hard I tired, I couldn't ignore it. The sea is too strong, and it was always a part of me."

She paused again and met her son's blue eyes with her own.

"I know what it feels like, Adam- to be a fish out of water. It's hard, and it is a constant struggle. It threatens to consume you every minute of every day. And, through it all, spending time in the water was the only thing that kept me sane."

The young king was somewhat surprised to hear her confession. Her love of swimming had never been a secret, and she had gone in the ocean often- but to hear her speak of her own struggles was something new. He knew his mother loved the water, but she had never told him that she yearned for it just as he did now.

She had masked her pain well.

"It's hard." He whispered.

"I know."

A wave crashed against the rock, spraying them with a shower gentle droplets. The tide was starting to come in, and Adam knew that it was only a matter of time before the rock was submerged. He would have to choose soon- escape back to the shore, or disappear into the depths with her.

"You can't stay out of the water forever." His mother said softly. "The merman in you will always crave it, and I know that the only solution is to give in. Not forever, but sometimes." She paused. "Your grandfather gave you a gift- one that he was not even able to give me. You don't have to choose one or the other. You can choose both. You_ are_ both."

"Sometimes I wish I was normal."

Adam regretted his words as soon as he had said them- the look of hurt in his mother's eyes filled him with another wave of regret. He knew that he shouldn't have let his guard down.

"I'm sorry."

His heart sank. "Don't say that." He replied. "I didn't mean it like that. I love being a merman...that's actually the problem. I wish I could spend all of my time in the sea, but I know I can't."

She gave him a comforting smile. "No. Not yet. But maybe one day."

He was about to ask her what she meant when another wave diverted his attention. The water was getting dangerously high.

Adam knew that he needed to go.

"I should be getting back." He said quietly, glancing towards the large stone castle. From here, it looked almost like a prison- and sometimes, it felt like it was. He didn't want to leave. Not really.

"Alright my darling." Ariel replied, pulling him towards her for one final hug. "Will I see you on Saturday?"

Despite everything, he was unable to suppress a sudden grin.

"Yeah." He said firmly, suddenly sure of his decision. "I'll see you Saturday."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This time, his stalking had been unintentional.

Furious with the end of that week's meeting, Peter had stormed down to the beach to get out some of his aggression and had unexpectedly spotted his incompetent cousin...talking to a turtle, no less!

Thinking that the other man was clearly losing his mind, Peter had crouched behind a sand dune to watch the show, praying that his presence would not be discovered.

Thankfully, the king was too distracted by his one-sided conversation to notice the new arrival, and had walked over to the water to release his new-found "friend."

For awhile after that, things got boring- the king stuck his feet in the water, and Peter wondered if his snooping was really worth it this time. Sure, seeing Adam talk to a turtle had been amusing enough- but, unfortunately, that wasn't the sort of incriminating evidence he was looking for. (Though maybe it could be mentioned when he eventually tried to convince the councillors that the king was mentally unstable...)

He had been about to leave when something- or rather, someone- very surprising had appeared.

Queen Ariel- who was supposedly in Greece or Turkey or someplace like that- had popped her head out of the water. Peter had no idea what to make of that. Not only was she supposed to be out of the country, but he could not for the life of him figure out how she had appeared from under the water like that. He hadn't seen her go into the water anywhere nearby...how long could she possibly hold her breath for that long?

The whole scene made him suspect that the female voice he had heard the other night near the dock had been Princess Melody after all. She was said to be "missing"...but of the absent Queen could pop out of the water like that, then maybe the Princess could too. He hadn't been able to see her face, but it had certainly sounded like her.

In Peter's opinion, this was all very suspicious.

The king had not seemed too surprised to see his mother (did family members regularly pop out of the water?)- but he had, much to Peter's annoyance, told her that they should talk behind a rock.

That seemed a bit odd. And it also meant that the Duke could no longer see or hear the pair.

Nevertheless, he left the back that day feeling absolutely certain that the king was hiding something. Something big.

He hoped that he would find some answers next Saturday...as soon as he did, Adam's days as ruler would be numbered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N Tell me what you think! One note on something Ariel said- I may explain this in the story later, but in my mind, Triton was able to give Adam and Melody rings to change back and forth but could not do the same for Ariel. The children belong to both worlds, and therefore require less magic to change- Ariel, being a full mermaid, needs her father's full power/the trident to make a shift.


End file.
